Predicting the England test team has become all a little too easy these days, but the ODI line-up is more interesting. Not sure when the line-up for the ODIs is due to be named, but I'm going to stick my neck out and predict the following:
1. Cook*
2. Kieswetter +
3. Trott
4. Bell
5. Morgan
6. Stokes
7. Patel
8. Swann
9. Bresnan
10. Broad
11. Dernbach
12. Bopara
13. Shahzad
Obviously the biggest name missing is Capey. I think he'll be the odd man out in the England selector's eyes. Cook has to play as captain and will open. England will surely go for either Kieswetter or Davies alongside him - I think England favour Kieswetter as thebetter less bad keeper, a right-hander to go alongside Cook and as a world cup winner.
Trott is a must at three as England's most dependable batsman. There's no way Morgan misses out, so he's in at five. So at four it comes down to a straight choice between Bell and Pietersen. I think Bell gets the nod from Flower and Capey is offered a chance to "rest" for the one-dayers, although he'll come back into the side for 20:20. England may try and dodge this issue by resting someone - Trott or Bell are probably a due a break.
England then need a bowling option at 6 - think how many games Luke Wright has had as 6th bowler to see how England consider this (rightly IMO) important. I think England will go with Ben Stokes here (or at 7, and flip him and Samit Patel in the order). A graduate of the u19s and the Lions, if Stokes isn't the real deal, he does a passable impression of it. Still a teenager (just), he has a first class average over 45, three division one hundreds this year already (including 185 against the county championship leaders in the current round). Add in an ability to clear the ropes and some raw bowling potential and I think England will find it hard to overlook his potential. Expect Flintoff comparisons in the media aplenty.
Broad, Bresnan and Swann will be automatic picks, leaving two bowling spots. Jade Dernbach seems to be making the right impression having impressed for the Lions in the winter and again in the game against Sri Lanka and having been called up as a late replacement to the World Cup squad. I think he profiles better for one-day than test cricket. It'll probably be between him and Shahzad for this spot. That leaves one spot and I think Samit Patel will get the nod as the fifth bowler and take Yardy's spot. He's finally got himself fit enough to pass level one on the ECB bleep test and was rewarded with a place in the Lions the other week. I think he gets the call over Rashid who England don't seem to like and whose bowling has gone off the boil in recent weeks.
Rounding out the squad would be Bopara and Shahzad, and they may start ahead of Stokes and Dernbach.
FWIW, I'd have Capey in over Bell, probably Davies over Kieswetter, would be looking to find room for Bops and I'd be looking very closely at both Ben Stokes and Josh Buttler.
1. Cook*
2. Kieswetter +
3. Trott
4. Bell
5. Morgan
6. Stokes
7. Patel
8. Swann
9. Bresnan
10. Broad
11. Dernbach
12. Bopara
13. Shahzad
Obviously the biggest name missing is Capey. I think he'll be the odd man out in the England selector's eyes. Cook has to play as captain and will open. England will surely go for either Kieswetter or Davies alongside him - I think England favour Kieswetter as the
Trott is a must at three as England's most dependable batsman. There's no way Morgan misses out, so he's in at five. So at four it comes down to a straight choice between Bell and Pietersen. I think Bell gets the nod from Flower and Capey is offered a chance to "rest" for the one-dayers, although he'll come back into the side for 20:20. England may try and dodge this issue by resting someone - Trott or Bell are probably a due a break.
England then need a bowling option at 6 - think how many games Luke Wright has had as 6th bowler to see how England consider this (rightly IMO) important. I think England will go with Ben Stokes here (or at 7, and flip him and Samit Patel in the order). A graduate of the u19s and the Lions, if Stokes isn't the real deal, he does a passable impression of it. Still a teenager (just), he has a first class average over 45, three division one hundreds this year already (including 185 against the county championship leaders in the current round). Add in an ability to clear the ropes and some raw bowling potential and I think England will find it hard to overlook his potential. Expect Flintoff comparisons in the media aplenty.
Broad, Bresnan and Swann will be automatic picks, leaving two bowling spots. Jade Dernbach seems to be making the right impression having impressed for the Lions in the winter and again in the game against Sri Lanka and having been called up as a late replacement to the World Cup squad. I think he profiles better for one-day than test cricket. It'll probably be between him and Shahzad for this spot. That leaves one spot and I think Samit Patel will get the nod as the fifth bowler and take Yardy's spot. He's finally got himself fit enough to pass level one on the ECB bleep test and was rewarded with a place in the Lions the other week. I think he gets the call over Rashid who England don't seem to like and whose bowling has gone off the boil in recent weeks.
Rounding out the squad would be Bopara and Shahzad, and they may start ahead of Stokes and Dernbach.
FWIW, I'd have Capey in over Bell, probably Davies over Kieswetter, would be looking to find room for Bops and I'd be looking very closely at both Ben Stokes and Josh Buttler.
